ALEXANDER ISKANDARIAN: AZERBAIJAN REALIZES THAT OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER WILL WEAKEN ITS POSITIONS IN REGION

Noyan Tapan
Oct 27, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations will contribute to establishment and strengthening of
stability in the South Caucasian region. Director of the Caucasian
Media Institute, political scientist Alexander Iskandarian made such a
prediction at an October 27 press conference adding that open borders
are always a guarantee of stability.

In response to the question of how the relations between the regional
countries will change if the Armenian-Turkish protocols are ratified
A. Iskandarian said that those changes are inevitable. He said that
according to specialists’ prediction, if the border is opened the
flow of cargo transportations from Georgia to Armenia will reduce by
nearly 40%. Besides, according to the political scientist, cooperation
between Armenia and Iran in the road construction sphere will become
active. As to Azerbaijan, it already realizes that if the border is
opened its positions in the region will become weak.

Speaking about the anti-Turkish moods that have become active in
Azerbaijan lately A. Iskandarian said that they have always been in
Azeri society. The Azeris consider that Turkey’s policy should meet
Azerbaijan’s interests and every time Turkey deviates from that course
a wave of protest rises in Azerbaijan. According to A. Iskandarian,
in Armenia also we have a wave of protest and resistance against
normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and it is also natural
as Armenians are a people having experienced a genocide and are
too sensitive to issues of recognition of the genocide and Nagorno
Karabakh settlement.